Can Artificial Intelligence Bridge the Gender Gap in the Workplace?
By Nabila Okino and Taibat Hussain
We should not have to wait for over a hundred years to achieve gender parity. Conversations surrounding gender equality are not new. Despite discussions at the international level by bodies such as the UN and local conversations by state and non-state actors, the status of women across the world has not changed much. This inequality is pervasive in politics, the workplace, the family and even in religious spaces.
Inequality has real consequences on the lives of women - these consequences include their inability to aspire to and reach for leadership positions, exclusion from participation in spaces that men participate in, reduced or non-existent economic opportunities and in some cases, violence and harassment.
The World Economic Forum in its 2021 Global Gender Gap Report (GGGR) predicted that it would take the world 135.6 years to close the gender gap, and 121.7 years in sub-Saharan Africa specifically. Women continue to lag in economic participation, income parity and the attainment of leadership positions. In this regard, the GGGR estimates that it would take 276.2 years to attain gender parity.
The endemic nature of inequality and the dire effect it has on the lives of women and girls necessitates constant, innovative actions which can contribute to bridging the gender gap and providing equal opportunities for both men and women. Although various iterations of inequality exist, this piece specifically focuses on gender inequality within the workplace - exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning can be used to improve the lives of women, provide opportunities for them, improve their economic standing and consequently contribute to expeditiously bridging the gender gap in the workplace.
IS AI THE FUTURE?
AI is increasingly becoming a tool for development in response to some of the world’s pressing challenges, such as climate change. It has been used to accelerate access to medicine, to make agricultural methods more efficient, to provide financial services/opportunities to ‘unserved and underserved’ communities and also as a disruptive tool in the criminal justice system. Put simply, AI is the imitation of natural or human intelligence in machines or computer systems. AI systems work by analysing large amounts of data to identify patterns to provide predictions.
The continuous reach of AI and the sweeping impact of the fourth industrial revolution on the way we live and work shows the potential/possibility of AI to provide solutions to very diverse issues across most sectors. Therefore, if AI continues to be at the centre of solutions and innovations, it is worth exploring how it can be used to foster equality.
The adoption of automation and AI technologies is transforming the workplace, from how we work, hire, communicate, and much more. In the coming decades, technological potential is projected to accelerate substantially. For instance, 47 per cent of all jobs in the United States could be automated within a 5 to 15 years time horizon.
Likewise, at least one-third of the constituent operations in about 60% of occupations might be automated, implying significant workplace transformations and changes for all workers. With women substantially more likely than men to be in occupations with the highest risk of automation, it has become imperative to look more closely at how AI impacts gender equality/women, particularly in the workforce/ labour market.
INSTITUTIONAL AND PERSONAL DISADVANTAGES IN THE WORKPLACE
Women are often at a disadvantage throughout the employment process, from hiring, training, assignment of tasks and to other important aspects such as compensation and promotions once on the job. The disadvantages women encounter can be categorised into institutional and personal. Where inequality is entrenched at an institutional level, it implies a direct or indirect exclusion of women through policy, procedures and practices which prevent women’s access to resources and opportunities.
This could mean women are blatantly treated differently because of their gender or institutional policies have an unintended impact on women specifically. For example, where the physical presence of an employee determines or contributes to their qualification for promotions, benefits and entitlement or increase in wages, women who are caregivers or women who become pregnant automatically miss out on the opportunities that their male colleagues have as a result of factors that specifically affect them as women. This situation is dire in patriarchal societies where women are expected to be domesticated regardless of their professional position or responsibilities, thus leading to stunted careers and reduced income.
Personal discrimination on the other hand is where individual or personal biases influences the treatment of women in the workplace. This includes sexist or misogynistic actions by colleagues or personnel in leadership positions. This can hinder the provision of opportunities for women and has the potential of creating a toxic work environment where women do not feel safe or fulfilled. Both institutional and personal discrimination does not exist exclusive of each other. Often, the pre-existing biases held by individuals shape the policies and practices, which in turn become institutionalised.
BRIDGING THE GENDER GAP IN THE WORKPLACE THROUGH AI
The current technological wave has necessitated conversations on whether AI contributes to gender inequality. AI has the potential to speed global efforts to promote inclusion, diversity, and equal treatment in the workplace by removing gender bias in recruitment and hiring, thereby creating a more egalitarian workplace. The use of AI-powered talent acquisition tools might be particularly beneficial for casting a wider net in search of female prospects. The tools may provide data points on where to find more female applicants geographically, allowing employers to target their recruitment efforts. This may shed light on untapped female talent pools.
Additionally, gender-neutral job descriptions are critical for female applicants to apply for employment and opportunities. AI-powered algorithms may assist in the creation of inclusive job descriptions, therefore removing gender bias in job descriptions and lowering the likelihood that women will think themselves unsuited for the work and decline to apply.
Furthermore, data is critical for achieving gender equity. AI tools can analyse patterns in the workplace, highlight gaps or inequities, and pinpoint areas for development. This could be in highlighting workplace practices and policies that disproportionately affect women and removing potential biases in the evaluation of employees for promotion or compensation purposes.
AI can also play a key role in the retention of women in the workplace and their ascension to leadership positions. By using the data pooled, AI tools can identify exceptional staff based on their performance who would have otherwise been overlooked as a result of gender, racial and other conscious or unconscious biases. However, the effectiveness of these tools is largely dependent on whether such tools have been trained to be unbiased in their assessment.
AI tools are not impervious to the inequalities that exist in our societies. According to a Unesco (2019) report, AI has the potential of spreading and reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes, which could put women at risk of being left behind in all realms of economic, political and social life. It is important to note that if the developers of a specific technology hold perspectives that are prejudicial towards women, there is a likelihood that such technology may not take into account peculiarities that may be/become harmful to women. This is also likely to happen where there are few or no women in the development of AI tools. Just like Katica Roy notes, ‘we are at this moment in Artificial Intelligence, that we either have the ability to hardwire our biases into the future…or to hardwire equity.’
More so, given that women predominantly hold jobs that face a high risk of automation (such as clerical, administrative, bookkeeping and cashier positions), AI can have a negative impact on women’s economic empowerment and labour market opportunities. Therefore, as we race towards automation, it is essential that we avoid replicating existing challenges and inequalities in a system that has the potential to do good.
HOW DO WE HARDWIRE EQUITY INTO THE FUTURE?
More women in AI development: the likelihood of technology becoming prejudicial towards women can be mitigated by hiring more women in the development of AI tools and consciously feeding those tools with objective data that can ensure algorithms work towards equality.
Retraining and reskilling: to ensure no one is left behind, it is important that individuals, organisations and even countries invest in retraining and reskilling women who work in jobs with a high risk of automation. This can prevent job losses and increase their chances of selection into tech roles. This also includes encouraging women and girls to take an interest in STEM courses/activities from their formative years.
More women in C-suite & management roles: to further insulate women from job losses, women should be given the same opportunities as men to progress to executive and senior management positions. As noted above, deploying AI tools that ensure employees are assessed, promoted and compensated based on their performances can pave the way for women to attain leadership positions in the workplace.
Responsible AI policies: As more African countries develop policies and frameworks to guide the use of AI in various sectors, it is important that equality, inclusion and representation are central principles that guide such policies.
Nabila Okino is a lawyer, human rights consultant and researcher. She has worked in various NGOs in Nigeria and undertaken research projects for organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the University of York.
Taibat Hussain is a development economist. Recently, she has worked for dRPC as a Gender and Economic development consultant on the ‘Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development’ project, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.